Dwight Yoakam

Hailed as a "new traditionalist" who was an important part of the alt-country movement, platinum-selling musician and songwriter Dwight Yoakam eventually brought his swagger to screens big and small with a steady string of often villainous character roles. The singer's tendency to lurk mysteriously in a half-moon shadow beneath a low cowboy hat led to his initial casting as no-nonsense rednecks in Western-set dramas like John Dahl's "Red Rock West" (1993). After Yoakam's acclaimed role in Billy Bob Thornton's "Sling Blade" (1996) exposed sizeable talent, he landed a wider range of opportunities in mainstream fare like the Harrison Ford vehicle "Hollywood Homicide" (2003), Richard Linklater's period heist "The Newton Boys" (1998), and the high-octane "Crank" films (2006, 2009). Yoakam continually won the respect of music critics for his lasting career built on a classic honkytonk foundation, while his often deliciously creepy screen performances evolved into a status above the average musician-turned-actor.